Implementation of Formation Pressure While Drilling for Cost Optimization and Efficient Operations in Complex Structural Geology Field: A Case Study From the UAE

摘要

The field under study is an elongated NE-SW faulted anticline which has a main axis length of around 25 km and a width of approximately 6km located onshore UAE. The main hydrocarbon accumulations occur in the Lower Cretaceous-Thamama Group. This group is comprised of a series of carbonate reservoirs with well-developed porosity, but low to moderate permeability. This paper discusses the implementation of acquiring Formation Pressure While-Drilling (FPWD) applied for better understanding and mitigating the geological structure uncertainties. The results were used to obtain accurate reservoir pressure measurements while drilling horizontal wells that intersected multiple fault blocks. Formation pressure measurements acquired while drilling (FPWD) have numerous applications including mud weight optimization to reduce drilling risk, control well placement in pay zones to maximize reservoir contact (MRC), and for better reservoir management by evaluating the connectivity between different fault blocks. This paper will discuss the theory and the operational sequences of the FPWD tool as well as the results of some case studies in the implementation of the FPWD runs in an onshore Abu Dhabi carbonate field.